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A caste-based species separated by positions of drones and warriors, Geonosians were born into hives with each led by a queen. The queen layed eggs for the hive, and provided orders to the publicleaders of Geonosis.[13] One such queen, Karina the Great, was even able to control sentient beings, including her own kind, via the use of brain worms.[8] Drones were capable of becoming warriors if they proved themselves worthy by successfully defeating other drones in an arena.[14] Geonosians of the warrior caste were known as Geonosian warriors. They had wings and a thick exoskeleton, and they were dedicated to warfare.[15] Geonosians also celebrated Meckgin, a day in which they celebrated the virtues of industry.[14] Geonosians would get drunk by eating a special fungus which reacted with their stomach fluids to create a body odor which created euphoria.[16]

Naturally industrious and barbaric, they were also known to take upon construction projects from outside parties, as was the case when Baktoid Armor Workshop approached them to design factories for the Trade Federation. Productivity was key to Geonosian society, and if not kept in check with enough tasks, hives could devolve into civil war and result in the deaths of thousands of Geonosians.[14]

Following the Clone Wars, the Geonosians were forced by the Galactic Empire to assist in the construction of the Death Star. When the Geonosians were unable to work out how to refine the superweapon's superlaser, the Empire brought in Galen Walton Erso to finish the job. After the Death Star's hyperdrive was operational, the Empire then sterilized the Geonosian species and their homeworld to keep the weapon a secret.[17] This act of genocide exterminated all but one of the native Geonosian population.[18]

Unfortunately for Klik-Klak, his hopes were soon dashed. Although the egg did eventually hatch into a queen that later became known as Karina, the last remaining Geonosian Queen was rendered sterile. Unable to have biological children, Karina, perhaps in a bid to preserve her own sanity, used the vast technological resources of Geonosis to attach herself to a portable droid factory. From this, she generated specially modifiedB1 battle droids, which were made to resemble her people. Although they were artificial mockeries of the Geonosians, Karina considered them to be her children.

Karina ultimately lost this womb and many of her children when Darth Vader stole it from her in order to build his own droid army shortly after the destruction of the firstDeath Star. Even so, Karina survived the encounter and proclaimed that this set back would not be the end of her empire.

A termite infestation in George Lucas' house inspired the Geonosians.[19] The basic design of the Geonosians originate from early designs of the Neimoidians which resembled B1 battle droids.[20] The sounds of Geonosians were created from mixed recordings of the mating cries of penguins and the sounds of flying foxes in Australia.[21]

According to concept artist Doug Chiang, before the final design for the Geonosians was pitched, George Lucas originally desired to have the species to take on a chameleon-like quality and be able to change colors based on their surroundings. Though that idea eventually got nixed, the texture and color of the Geonosians does match that of their homeworld Geonosis.[22]

The inspiration for the Geonosians' role as the ones assigned to construct the Death Star came from a scene in the 1994 film Clerks, in which the main characters ponder over the lives of the "independent contractors" during the construction of the second Death Star.[23]